Million Minutes, the youth social action charity, has announced that its new chief executive officer is Anita Motha. She comes to the post after 14 years of experience working and volunteering within Catholic youth ministry and international development. In recent years Anita has served as Vice-Chair on the Board of Trustees for Million Minutes.
Anita worked for CAFOD on their young adult outreach. Prior to this, she managed Bosco Volunteer Action, the international volunteering programme for the Salesians of Don Bosco for six years. She lives in the Diocese of Brentwood with her husband and two young children.
Among her first tasks is overseeing this year’s Celebrating Young People Awards! Nominations closed two weeks ago for awards for young people aged 11-25 and awards for adults empowering young people in their community. Judging panels have been meeting to assess entries for each award
Six awards that specifically recognise the actions of young people in support of Catholic Social Teaching are: Jimmy Mizen Award for peace, Dorothy Day Award for community service, Barbara Ward Award for care for creation, Josephine Bakhita Award for protecting human dignity, Cardinal Hume Award for living out the option of the poor, Joseph Cardijn Award for protecting dignity of labour, presented with the Young Christian Workers movement. An additional award, alongside the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation, recognises exceptional youth ministry.
Million Minutes has also launched a new award, in collaboration with the Jesuits in Britain, which celebrates clergy and religious who are committed to social action and parish transformation in their communities that is inclusive of young people. It is called the Rutilio Grande and Companions Award.
Award recipients and nominees will be announced at an event held in the Palace of Westminster in July 2022, hosted by Siobhain McDonagh MP.
To date, almost one thousand young people have been nominated for Million Minutes’ Celebrating Young People Awards, giving Catholic schools, retreat centres and parishes a means by which to recognise and celebrate young people, as the next generation of social action leaders. Million Minutes refers to pledges to be silent and to be sponsored for this silence during Lent. Funds raised are used for the work of Million Minutes in youth ministry.
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